Quilt No.419VI - Val Ireland

Val Ireland
Owner: 
Val Ireland
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Emily Ireland
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Utilitarian quilt. The padding is pieced used clothing and possibly reused blanket. The top and backing are machine pieced cotton scraps in a wide variety of pattern and colours.
1626 x 1601mm
History: 

The internal quilt, now the padding, was made by Emily Ireland (born Metz) 1889-1933 in the late 1920s. It then passed to her son Eric 1924-1994 who was orphaned when he was 12. He took it with him when he married Val who made the new top and backing in 1952 in Penrith NSW. It is not used now.

Story: 

" My grandmother had a lot of Waggas, on the old couches, on the sleepouts. My aunties had them too, they lived in the country and used them for warmth. I learnt about Waggs from them."
[Val Ireland 14.1.98]

Related Quilts:

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Double sided patchwork quilt. Machined squares and rectangles joined in strips and then the strips joined. Wide variety of materials, mainly woollen from hand or machine knitted jumpers, many patched. All materials came from worn garments from family and friends of the maker. No padding.
1860 x 1410mm
Nancy Dunlap
Quilt top in block design based on hexagons in a variety of patterned cotton with a plain pink hexagon in the centre. The hexagons are linked by triangles of pink cotton. Cottons include florals, stripes, checks, tartans and novelty prints. 2080 x 2300mm
National Gallery of Australia
"This is not a true quilt, but a pieced coverlet with a lining. The entire front face of the quilt is of pieced hexagonal and part hexagonal printed cotton patches. Pieces are joined with hand sewn over casting stitches of many different coloured cotton threads. The joining of the patches forms a 'daisy' pattern in some areas and in others it is random. The edge of the front face of the quilt carries a 40mm strip of cotton Chinoiserie which is then folded to the reverse of the quilt and becomes part of the lining. The template for the hexagon patches remains in many of the patches: writing paper and news print." [NGA]
The work is not padded "The lining at the edge of the quilt (for approx.175mm) is a plain weave fabric of a Chinoiserie design. The centre field of the lining is a rectangular panel of a twill weave brushed cotton fabric with a striped floral design." [NGA] 2215 x 2070mm
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt of small silk and rayon rosettes of hexagons in prints and plain materials including velvet, voided velvet, chine, printed silk, brocades, taffeta, satin, crepes. Many of the materials are from Japanese kimono and wrapping silks. It is pieced over papers, one paper has a typed date '1930'. The backing is black silk satin and is turned to the front to form a border.
1695 x 1390mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Patchwork quilt made from diamond patches in a variety of cotton materials set in a 'tumbling block' pattern. Patterns include geometrics, stripes, a 'Kate Greenway' print and colours are largely soft pastels, dark browns, with some reds and blues. The quilt has been cut down and a later border added. There is no padding and the backing is cream cotton.
2279 x 2000mm
National Gallery of Australia
" This well worn quilt is of pieced diamonds set into squares (221 make up the quilt). Thick woollen fabric has been used for the pieces. These are with plain dyed fabrics or tartans and checks. All work on the quilt is hand sewn. The quilt was lined with a fine blue cotton." [NGA] The quilt is not padded. 1835 x 1400mm